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McAllister (surname)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

MacAlister, MacAllister, McAllister
Language(s)Gaelic
Origin
Meaning"Son of Alasdair"
Region of originScotland & Ireland
Other names
Variant form(s)This surname has multiple different spellings which are displayed below.

McAllister is a surname from Scotland and Ireland that originates from the Gaelic name Mac Alasdair, meaning son of Alasdair. Alasdair is the Gaelic form of the first name Alexander.[citation needed]

Surname origins

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Scottish origins

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The McAllisters for the greater part owe their ancestry to the Scottish Clan Donald. The name is derived from the personal name Alexander and is believed to have been introduced to Scotland by Queen Margaret, wife of King Malcolm Canmore (1057-1093), from the Hungarian Court, where she was raised.

Arrival in Ireland

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Some McAllisters later moved to Ulster as gallowglasses (from Irish: Gallóglaigh meaning foreign warriors) on a seasonal basis at the invitation of the MacDonnells. In Ireland today, the greatest numbers of the name are to be found in Counties Antrim, Armagh, Down, Londonderry, Fermanagh, and Dublin, otherwise the name is widely dispersed.[1]

The MacAllisters spread into the north of Ireland early on; some families of this clan were established there by the 14th century. And a considerable number followed the MacDonalds of Dunyvaig to Antrim after that clan lost its Scottish lands in the 1600s.

Like the MacDonalds, the MacAllisters were seen as "uncivilised Gaels" and were not considered appropriate candidates for the Ulster Plantations therefore, are not among the group now known as Ulster-Scots (or Scotch-Irish).[2]

Common spellings

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The McAllister surname has many different spellings due to immigration. Some of the common spellings are[3]

  • McAlister
  • McAllister
  • McCallister
  • McCalister
  • McAlaster
  • McAlester
  • McAlister
  • McAllaster
  • McAllester

It is agreed upon that all bearers of the 'McAllister' surname and its derivatives share a common ancestor, which historians believe to be Somerled.

McAllister demographics

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Religious adherence in Ireland Percentage
Catholic 50%
Presbyterian 30%
Anglican 20%

Sample size: 1,530 (1901). It is likely that these figures have changed significantly. In recent times, the religious adherence of those bearing the McAllister last name is predominantly Catholic in Ireland.

List of people with the surname

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List of fictional characters with the surname

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Mc Alister Switzerland". Mc Alister history. Retrieved 1 January 2007.
  2. ^ "A Brief History of the Clann Alasdair". 19 August 2013.
  3. ^ "Clan McAlister Home Page". Clan McAlister of America. Retrieved 17 August 2006.
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